When You're Slidin' into First and You're Feelin' Somethin' Burst...

I don't want to really dwell on the last few days. Today was a much better one. But I guess I should touch on it just to 'add to the colour' so to speak.... not to be too visual about the whole thing. It turned out that the trip to the Rice Boat restaurant on Friday night that Arun and I made had pretty dire consequences and by Sunday I was heading towards something I would have rather avoided...ahem. I thought it was just the results of the night at Poison with the girls.... but I spent the night in the loo and then Monday morning my body was aching and I was doubled over and emitting liquid in ways I never really wanted to be familiar with. How to go to work?! The ride in the auto that I usually love was one painful bump after another... white-knuckled all the way.

It was day one of the much anticipated lighting apprenticeship programme. The first one at our India office of Rhythm and Hues! We met with all the apprentices in the screening room and went through the introductions and the exhaustive instructions (employee handbook in a giant nutshell) all morning. Nice bunch and it seemed like a good ice breaker. By the end I was in agony though. I lay all afternoon on a couch in Vani's office... stomach cramps like a knife.

That night.... yeah.... saw too much of Percy the Porcelain. We know each other well now. I couldn't come to work the next day.... and headed into my second day of not eating. By about 3pm I realised I might be passing blood and felt the level of panic rise ... sharply, shall we say! ;) Oh bugger.... I really didn't want this. I felt like such a loser. Anyway... Vani jumped into action and before I knew it Aparna from HR at work was here and the Dr was coming. She gave me the prescritions he ordered over the phone, he came and did the once over, and I settled in for a night of nausea and vomiting to end the saga. I stayed up all night... started reading The Golden Compass which was fantastic and went well with the hallucinations :)

The next day.... starting to improve.... pumping the Gatorade and by the end of the day... a teeeny teeny bit of rice. First food in 3 days! Whahoo.... tummy flips of shock and horror and thankfulness!

Today I was back at work.... sheepish and embarrassed that I lasted not a week in India without falling sick. Yeah Jude... way to go. That's a way to show you're tuff! :( Oh well... it felt so good to be back ... and amongst family! Straight into class and helping Arun teach the apprentices. Very fun and challenging. They are a great group. All seem to be interested, motivated and wanting to move faster than the pace we planned! I was pumped with questions... a really good test for me. I loved being pushed like that. It was exhausting in a most satisfying way. My energy was very low but I had a really good day. Of course... it's only 9pm and I want to crawl into bed now ... g'night ;)